Hosted by Hollywood producer and political media strategist Ben Mathis, KickAss News is a twice weekly podcast that features the most interesting personalities and thought leaders in politics, entertainment, tech, business, science, and more.

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Episodes

Director/writer/producer Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, Funny People, Trainwreck) talks about his lifelong love of comedy and how Amy Schumer got him to return to stand-up after a 25 year absence from the stage. He shares some advice to young comedy writers, gives his take on Hollywood’s sexual harassment problem, and talks about fatherhood and his marriage to actress Leslie Mann. Plus Judd Apatow discusses the tao of Gary Shandling, "stalking" Steve Martin, and what to do when Kermit the Frog thinks you’re unlovable. Judd Apatow's Netflix comedy special Judd Apatow: The Return is available starting Tuesday, December 12. Follow him on twitter at @JuddApatow. Today's episode is sponsored by Grasshopper. Please subscribe to Kickass News on iTunes and take our listener survey at www.podcastlistener.com/KICK.

Legendary newsman Dan Rather talks about his 60 year career and how his travels and conversations have given him a “wide shot” of the American experience and the values that unite us. He condemns recent attacks on some on those values (including freedom of the press), he shares his own family's experience during the Great Depression as a lesson in empathy, and he recalls how his time spent with men like Martin Luther King Jr. and Medger Evers opened his eyes to institutionalized racism in America. He talks frankly about how his own thinking has evolved on some social issues, and he weighs in on the recent rash of sexual harassment scandals that have rocked the news business. He discusses a few of the dozen Presidents he’s known in his 60 years as a journalist and reveals the one word that has always carried Dan Rather through good times and bad. Order Dan Rather's book WHAT UNITES US: REFLECTIONS ON PATRIOTISM on Amazon or download the audio version on Audible. Follow him on twitter at @DanRather or at www.newsandguts.com. Today’s episode is sponsored by iFit Nourish. Please subscribe to Kickass News on iTunes and take our listener survey at www.podcastlistener.com/KICK.

For Lawrence O’Donnell, host of MSNBC’s The Last Word, the 1968 U.S. Presidential election was his political awakening, and it has remained one of his abiding fascinations. Today he talks about the war that sunk LBJ’s presidency and the wild election that followed including the indignities suffered by Senator Senator Eugene McCarthy, how the assassination of Bobby Kennedy threw the Democratic primary into chaos, and the impossible political position of the eventual Democratic nominee Humbert Humphrey. He analyzes the strategy behind the unlikely political comeback of Richard Nixon, the disturbingly familiar tone of the racist George Wallace campaign, and how 1968 has set the stage for every presidential election to follow. Order Playing with Fire: The 1968 Election and the Transformation of American Politics on Amazon or download the audio version on Audible. Watch The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell every week night at 10PM Eastern on MSNBC, and follow him on twitter at @Lawrence. Today’s episode is sponsored by Grasshopper and Credible.com. Please subscribe to Kickass News on iTunes and take our listener survey at www.podcastlistener.com/KICK.

A.J. Jacobs recounts his attempt to throw the worlds biggest family reunion, and his efforts to connect with the billions of people he calls his "cousins" via a project called the world family tree. He discusses how this crazy project all began with an email from a dairy farmer in Israel, and quickly led him down a genealogical rabbit hole as he played "six degrees of A.J. Jacobs." He says any person on the planet is no further than 70th cousins with anyone else, and every one of the 7 billion people on earth will be connected through a global family tree within the next 10-20 years. A.J. discusses the potential for this idea to bridge divides, but he warns that genealogy can also expose uncomfortable truths and upend long held family narratives. Plus A.J. earns the ultimate Mormon street cred, attends a get-together of the Hatfields and McCoys, and nearly loses his mind trying to round up thousands of his "cousins" for the world's biggest family reunion. Order A.J. Jacobs' book IT'S ALL RELATIVE: ADVENTURES UP AND DOWN THE WORLD'S FAMILY TREE on Amazon or download the audiobook on Audible. Follow A.J. on twitter at @ajjacobs or at www.ajjacobs.com. Today’s episode is sponsored by Grasshopper, Credible.com, and iFit Nourish. Please subscribe to Kickass News on iTunes and take our listener survey at www.podcastlistener.com/KICK.

Tina Brown is arguably the most influential magazine editor of the past 50 years, having served as editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, Tatler, and The Daily Beast. She discusses her new book The Vanity Fair Diaries: 1983-1992, tells stories of the glamorous and cut-throat magazine trade, and dishes about some of the larger than life personalities she encountered in that world including a young Donald Trump and disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. She discusses the importance of the "mix" of a good magazine and recounts how she completely remade Vanity Fair from front to back. She recalls having a front row seat for the excess of New York in 1980’s, and gives the backstory behind some of her favorite Vanity Fair covers including Annie Leibovitz's now iconic portrait of a naked pregnant Demi Moore. Order The Vanity Fair Diaries: 1983-1992 on Amazon or download the audiobook on Audible. Follow Tina Brown on twitter at @TinaBrownLM or at www.tinabrownmedia.com. Today’s episode is sponsored by Credible.com. Please subscribe to Kickass News on iTunes and take our listener survey at www.podcastlistener.com/KICK.

The Lean Startup founder Eric Ries talks about his new book The Startup Way. Eric recalls his first crash-course in entrepreneurship, what went wrong with his very first tech venture, and why having failed startup under your belt is something of a right of passage in Silicon Valley. He discusses the strikingly similar issues faced by both large corporations and new ventures, and why the biggest problem with many startups is that they simply never plan for success. He discusses how he helped form the innovative Fastworks Program at the granddaddy of legacy companies General Electric, and how a more entrepreneurial system can improve the bottom line for all kinds of organizations from large multinational corporations to government bureaucracies. Order The Startup Way: How Modern Companies Use Entrepreneurial Management to Transform Culture and Drive Long-Term Growth on Amazon or download the audiobook on Audible. Follow Eric on twitter at @ericries or at www.theleanstartup.com. Today’s episode is sponsored by Grasshopper. Please take our new listener survey at www.podcastlistener.com/KICK.

Comedian Brian Reagan talks about his very first standup act, the worst gig he ever had, and the double-edged sword of being labeled a "clean comic." He reveals why he doesn’t like to see his audience, why he never plays the town he lives in, and the incredibly weird audition that got him on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Plus Brian has a bone to pick with whoever invented tennis scoring, and he offers his sage advice for Middle East peace. Brian Regan's Netflix comedy special Nunchucks and Flamethrowers is available November 21. Follow Brian on twitter at @brianregan and visit www.brianregan.com for tickets and tour dates. Today’s episode is sponsored by Nadex. Please take our new listener survey at www.podcastlistener.com/KICK.

Paul Reiser and Jeff Sotzing discuss their new show There's...Johnny!, a funny and heartwarming coming of age series set amid the backstage antics on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. They talk about bringing Carson to a new generation of TV viewers, meticulously recreating the look of The Tonight Show for There's...Johnny!, and building each episode around some of Johnny Carson's most iconic television moments. Paul recalls his first appearance on Carson, Johnny’s impeccable sense of comedic timing, and his generosity to young comics like himself. Jeff shares memories of his uncle Johnny and his time working on The Tonight Show including being there for Carson’s final episode. Plus the antics of the legendary Pat McCormick, the time Johnny Carson foiled an extortion plot, and Tony Danza as the oh so cool Tonight Show producer Freddie deCordova. Season 1 of There’s...Johnny! is available on Hulu November 16. Keep up with Paul at www.paulreiser.com or on Twitter at @PaulReiser, and visit www.johnnycarson.com for memorable clips and other fun stuff from The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Today’s episode is sponsored by Nadex and Grasshopper. Please take our new listener survey at www.podcastlistener.com/KICK.

Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush discuss their surprisingly normal childhood when they assumed that everyone’s grandfather got to have an inauguration, and why they initially didn't want their dad to run for President. Barbara discusses the difficulties of having the same name as the First Lady, and the time a Yale professor offered her an A if she could convince her dad to call off the Iraq War. Jenna talks about the infamous night they got caught drinking underage and recalls her and her husband's comical first date at the White House. They reveal the creepy dictator who had photos of them in his palace, their experiences on election night 2000 and 9/11, and weigh in on the recent story that neither their dad nor their grandfather voted for Donald Trump in 2016. Order Jenna and Barbara’s #1 bestseller Sisters First: Stories from Our Wild and Wonderful Life on Amazon or Audible. To learn more, visit www.sistersfirst.com. Catch Jenna on The Today Show on NBC and follow her on Twitter at @jennabushhager. Learn more about Barbara’s terrific charity Global Health Corps at www.ghcorps.org and follow them on twitter at @ghcorps. Thank you to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum for hosting our interview. Today’s episode is sponsored by Nadex, Grasshopper, and AppRiver. Please subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts and take our annual listener survey at www.podsurvey.com/KICK.

Alec Baldwin and Kurt Andersen discuss their new book You Can't Spell America Without Me: The Really Tremendous Inside Story of My Fantastic First Year as President Donald J. Trump. Alec shares his thoughts Donald Trump’s bizarre twitter war with SNL, and Alec reveals a secret fan he has in the White House. They talk about the mentally taxing process of getting into the strange mind of Donald Trump, how Trump has blurred the lines between reality and fiction, and Trump’s deep love for conspiracy theories and dictators. Plus Paul Ryan tells off the President, Ivanka tricks him into seeing a shrink, and we debate whether Trump is the Godfather or Freddo. Order Alec and Kurt’s book You Can't Spell America Without Me on Amazon or download the audio version hilariously read by Alec and Kurt on Audible. Subscribe to Alec’s podcast Here’s the Thing and Kurt's podcast Studio 360 on iTunes and look for lots more of Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump this season on Saturday Night Live. Visit the guys websites at www.kurtandersen.com and www.alecbaldwin.com and follow them on twitter at @alecbaldwin and @KBAndersen. Today’s episode is sponsored by Nadex. Please subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts and take our annual listener survey at www.podsurvey.com/KICK.

Comedian Iliza Shlesinger explains the often misunderstood and highly evolved way of thinking that she calls "girl logic." She relates girl logic to everything from the fashion and the work place to the most frustrating question a man can ask a woman - “what do you want to eat?” Plus Iliza shares her thoughts on Harvey Weinstein, guys who fake their own deaths, how to win a reality show, and how to deal with mermaid hate mail. Order Iliza Shlesinger's new book GIRL LOGIC: The Genius and The Absurdity on Amazon or download the audio version on Audible. For Iliza's upcoming tour dates and more info, visit her website at www.iliza.com and follow her on twitter at @iliza. Today’s episode is sponsored by Nadex and AppRiver. Please subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts and take our annual listener survey at www.podsurvey.com/KICK.

Comedian Gilbert Gottfried talks about his fear of being "outted" as family man in his new documentary GILBERT, recalls some of the worst gigs he ever had, and reveals why he used to look down on comics who "work dirty." He explains why nazis love him, tells traveling salesmen jokes, does his impressions Humphrey Bogart at the postoffice and Jackie Gleason as Rick in Casablanca, and tells his infamous Danny Thomas story. His documentary GILBERT opens at the IFC Center in NYC on 11/3, Laemmle Fine Art Theatre in LA on 11/10 and then in theatres across the country. Subscribe to Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast, and you can keep up with him at www.GilbertGottfried.com or on twitter at @RealGilbert. Today’s episode is sponsored by Nadex and AppRiver. Please subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts and take our annual listener survey at www.podsurvey.com/KICK. Visit www.kickassnews.com for more fun stuff.

Aaron Mahnke, host of LORE podcast, shares the real history behind the legends of ghosts, vampires and werewolves, and how our scary folktales say a lot about our attitudes toward women, outsiders, and those who are different. He talks about the spiritualism craze of the turn of the century, the most sadistic witch hunters throughout the ages, as well as the Jersey Devil, the Beast of Bray road, gremlins, fairies and more. Subscribe to LORE podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get podcasts. Don’t miss the LORE Amazon series available now, and order THE WORLD OF LORE: MONSTROUS CREATURES on Amazon or download the audiobook on Audible. You can learn more about LORE and Aaron Mahnke at www.lorepodcast.com or www.aaronmahnke.com and follow them on Twitter at @lorepodcast or @amahnke. Today’s episode is sponsored by Nadex and Sonos. Please subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts and take our annual listener survey at www.podsurvey.com/KICK. Visit www.kickassnews.com for more fun stuff.

Pulitzer-winning author/historian Ron Chernow (Alexander Hamilton, Washington: A Life) wants Americans to rethink the 18th President with his new biography GRANT. He discusses Ulysses S. Grant’s drinking and early failures, his meteoric rise through the ranks during the Civil War, and how Grant struggled with his own personal civil war at home. He makes the case for General Grant as a brilliant military strategist, and argues that he deserves more credit for holding the Union together during Reconstruction. We discuss how Ulysses S. Grant later went broke when he trusted his fortune to the Bernie Madoff of his day and how Mark Twain helped the former President dig himself out of debt before suffering a painful death by throat cancer. Order Ron Chernow's terrific biography GRANT on Amazon or download the audio book at Audible. Today’s episode is sponsored by Nadex and AppRiver. Please subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts and take our annual listener survey at www.podsurvey.com/KICK. Visit www.kickassnews.com for more fun stuff.

Sir Richard Branson talks about The Virgin Group philosophy, why he likes to act fast when launching a new business, and how many of his best ideas came from his own desires and frustrations as a consumer. He gives advice to young entrepreneurs and shares what he’s learned from his mistakes. He reveals his reasons for selling Virgin America to Alaska Air, and he outlines his vision of the future with Virgin Galactic and his latest venture Virgin Hyperloop One. Plus he talks about his strange lunch with Donald Trump, his most harrowing adventures, and his habit of chopping off people’s neckties. Order Sir Richard Branson's new book FINDING MY VIRGINITY on Amazon or download the audio book at Audible. Keep up with Richard Branson at www.virgin.com or on Twitter at @richardbranson. Today’s episode is sponsored by Harry's Razors, Sonos, Nadex and The Daily Zeitgeist podcast. Please subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts and take our annual listener survey at www.podsurvey.com/KICK. Visit www.kickassnews.com for more fun stuff.

Richard Turner is the greatest card magician in the world and the subject of a new documentary called DEALT. He’s virtually never seen without a deck in his hands, and today he fesses up to shuffling cards in the movies, during church and even while making love to his wife! He shares why he doesn’t like to be called a magician or an illusionist, he discuss some of the less than ethical origins of card trickery, and talks about the man who mentored him in card manipulation. Then after the break, Richard Turner reveals a fact about himself that will completely blow your mind and leave you wondering how he can possibly do what he does! DEALT opens in theatres in New York as well as On Demand and on iTunes October 20, then in Los Angeles starting October 27 followed by other select cities. For showtimes and information visit www.dealtmovie.com. You can keep up with Richard Turner at www.RichardTurner52.com. Today’s episode is sponsored by Nadex and AppRiver. Please subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts and take our annual listener survey at www.podsurvey.com/KICK. Visit www.kickassnews.com for more fun stuff.

Astronaut Captain Scott Kelly talks about his year on the International Space Station, including how it pushed his body the limit, why the hardest physical test was re-adjusting to life on earth, and how his experience could get NASA one step closer to a manned mission to Mars. He reveals how he combatted boredom in space, what he missed most about earth, and how he got along with his Russian crew-mates amid strained US-Russia relations. Plus Scott tells me if the "overview effect" ever wears off, what space smells like, and much more. Order Scott Kelly's book Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery (available 10/17) on Amazon or Audible. Keep up with him at www.ScottKelly.com and follow him on twitter at @StationCDRKelly. Today’s episode is sponsored by Nadex, AppRiver, and Sonos. Please subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts and take our annual listener survey at www.podsurvey.com/KICK. Visit www.kickassnews.com for more fun stuff.

Anthony Bourdain speaks candidly about the problem of food waste, who is to blame, and who is working on solutions. He discusses how he and his fellow chefs have been fighting this battle for years in their own kitchens, including embracing the "snout to tail" movement, renaming so called "trash fish," and even turning table scraps into delicious pork. He also shares how he manages to juggle his a hectic travel schedule, waxes about his love of Vietnam, and reveals some of his most cherished comfort foods. Plus, Tony and I gripe about California's newly revived foie gras ban and the term "foodie." Anthony Bourdain's new documentary Wasted: The Story of Food Waste is available in the theatres, on demand, on Amazon, and on iTunes beginning this Friday, October 13. Visit www.wastedfilm.com for more information. Keep up with Anthony Bourdain on his website www.explorepartsunknown.com or on Twitter at @Bourdain. Today’s episode is sponsored by Nadex. Please subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts and take our annual listener survey at www.podsurvey.com/KICK. Visit www.kickassnews.com for more fun stuff.

Ed Asner and Ed. Weinberger discuss their book The Grouchy Historian: An Old-Time Lefty Defends Our Constitution Against Right-Wing Hypocrites and Nutjobs. They talk about the surprising origins of the Bill of Rights, their problem with Constitutional "originalists," and the motives, disagreements and private doubts of the founding fathers. They tackle Republicans from Ted Cruz to Clarence Thomas and chastise Democrats for ceding the Constitution to Conservatives. Plus Ed Asner ponders what that grump newsman Lou Grant might say about the state of news media in 2017. Order Ed Asner and Ed. Weinberger's book The Grouchy Historian: An Old-Time Lefty Defends Our Constitution Against Right-Wing Hypocrites and Nutjobs on Amazon or download the audio book on Audible. Today’s episode is sponsored by Nadex and Sonos. Please subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts and take our annual listener survey at www.podsurvey.com/KICK. Visit www.kickassnews.com for more fun stuff.

Mortician, author and activist Caitlin Doughty discusses her new book From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death. She reveasl how America’s funeral industrial complex overcharges and overregulates how we say goodbye to our loved ones and how funerals went from private family affairs to big business in just a century. She shares how people around the world honor the dead including villagers in Indonesia who sleep, eat, and interact with their deceased on a daily basis, and high tech innovators are revolutionizing how the dearly departed are remembered in Japan. She tells of a community in Colorado that forgoes the sterile funeral home cremation in favor of an old fashioned funeral pyre, and a green advocate in North Carolina who wants to compost your corpse. Order Caitlin Doughty's book From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death on Amazon or download the audio book on Audible. To learn more about Caitlin Doughty and The Order of the Good Death, visit www.caitlindoughty.com and www.orderofthegooddeath.com. Check out her popular Ask a Mortician videos on youtube, and follow Caitlin on Twitter at @TheGoodDeath. Today’s episode is sponsored by Nadex. Please subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts and take our annual listener survey at www.podsurvey.com/KICK. Visit www.kickassnews.com for more fun stuff.